M - Il figlio del secolo is meant to confront. It succeeds excellently. In a time when there are politicians who appreciate Mussolini for who he was, a series like M - Il figlio del secolo (English title is Mussolini Son of the Century) is quite confronting. This Italian series shows the rise of the Italian fascist leader between 1919 and 1925 during the first season. What makes it very impressive is that Luca Marinelli knows how to portray Benito Mussolini wonderfully. The fact that Mussolini addresses the viewer directly into the camera is just as confronting as the series itself.
M - Il figlio del secolo is meant to confront. It succeeds excellently.
M - Il figlio del secolo is not a standard series. The way in which the story is told is not exactly everyday. By making idiosyncratic use of historical images, the impact is even greater. Moreover, the series manages to maintain an excellent balance between documentary, drama and sometimes even theatre. The latter is mainly used in moments when Mussolini tries to organize his thoughts or when he has one-on-one conversations. Then the rest of the often large room in which he is is imposingly empty or filled with that one person he is talking to.
The series is based on three books with the same title. Each of these books deals with a certain period of Mussolini. The expectation was therefore that two more seasons would follow. Mussolini is often seen as the founder of fascism. Not entirely rightly, but he is the first to overwhelm an entire country with this ideology. This was accompanied by a lot of violence, fighting against the left-wing socialists and hatred towards existing institutions such as the government, press, judiciary and science.
What is particularly striking is how this is portrayed. The sepia images used ensure that you are immediately transported to the turbulent historical period in which it takes place. As a viewer, you are literally thrown right into it. The shocking imagery matches the violence that is shown. The way in which Mussolini and his henchmen are portrayed is impressive. It also clearly shows how a group of fanatical followers are increasingly seduced into violence and personality cult. In Italy and later Germany, it led to the takeover of power.
On the other hand, Mussolini is sometimes portrayed almost grotesquely. As his power increases, he isolates himself further and further from those who followed him into battle. He himself did not get his hands dirty, but the people around him went on a rampage. When his chair legs are sawed off, it becomes clear what is really important to Mussolini. Power, not the people who got him there.
By making unique use of historical images, the impact is even greater.
On the other hand, you see the growing powerlessness of the old power. In the beginning, the rich industrialists see in fascism an opportunity to shape the world order to their liking. However, when this turns against them, it is too late. Others are also bluffed by the violence and the steering skills of Mussolini. His persuasiveness and the fact that there is always a certain threat ensures that others are slowly but surely silenced. Even in a situation in which normally no one would be able to escape, Mussolini manages to survive.
The acting is amazing. Especially when you see who is behind the actors you see on the screen. Almost no one is recognizably themselves. The emotions, the manipulation and the growing sense of their own rightness are excellently portrayed. The pace is sometimes murderous. The way in which it is all portrayed sometimes seems as if someone with ADHD did the visualization and production. The fact that this fits in perfectly with the turbulent time of then (and now?) makes M - Il figlio del secolo a fantastic series.
The gravity of the series is somewhat lightened by Mussolini's private life, but especially by the image that is sketched of the king of Italy. He is the embodiment of powerless, characterless and perhaps the greatest follower there is. Only that following has its limitations for him. Mussolini is a womanizer. His wife and children are important, but mainly for the image. Mussolini is only there for himself.
Personally, as you can read, I am very enthusiastic about how this series is put together. However, I can imagine that the way it is filmed and told does not appeal to everyone. It is not exactly everyday. That is precisely what is very strong about this series. The fact that the story is urgent in the current situation and that the makers show the confrontational side without mercy makes it complete for me. In many ways it reminds me of another series from this time, Babylon Berlin. This series has a similar vibe and is set in a similar period (but then in Germany). Both series know how to capture the zeitgeist well. M - Il figlio del secolo is much more based on historical reality and the people who played a role in it.
There has been a lot of discussion in Italy about this series. I wonder if we will get the chance to see the sequel. I can't wait for the next two seasons.
About the writer, Karzal
Mike (1995) has been a member of MySeries since 2016 and is mainly active on the English version of the site. Since 2018, he has been actively translating news articles, columns, reviews and basically everything that ends up on the Dutch site. The original articles, columns and reviews were actually written by others. During the week Mike can be found at IKEA, where he is a national systems specialist and occasionally also in the classroom to teach an English lesson. In addition, Mike logically enjoys watching series and has actually been spoon-fed this from an early age. The genre doesn't matter, there is a place for everything in the otherwise busy life.
